Fender guard



Feb. 4, 1930.

G. W. YANSS FENDER GUARD Filed July 25. 1928 Geo/yen. ams.

V//////// M//rl Patented Feb, 4, i93 r if vi M AT E NT orrlc E 2 0 absorbing means,

'- GEORGE wqYANss, or ADRIAN, MICHIGAN" resents To AMERICAN CHAIN cOMrANY,main oonronarrowonnnwyomr i GUABDTQHV 3 ,a licatibn fiiea July as,

I i This invention relates to automobile bumpers andmo're particularly to a'type' offender guard which combinesto a'desirable extent the resiliency ofabumperfabricated of str p;

""5 steel, with certain of the featuresfheretofore considered to ,be exclusively rharacteristm of a tubular bumper,- and notably the spac ous curved impact surface which is; presentedby various types of existing Zoversized tubular '10 bumpers.'-f-

In explanation oif the above statement, it

a is to =be bserved that early-typeset tubular bumpers embodied tubes -'ofrelatively small diameter which presented-an attenuated impact surface and wer'e'unsightly, and th'at .these disadvantages were only obviated in partwhen parallel tubes were used. 'Ingen-- 1 eral,'tubula-r bumpersare more rigid thanis usually desirable, if used without other shock- The' oversized ,7 reference has already' -been' madeg are less unsightly, but their size is'limited by an undesirable in'creas'e in their: expense-weight, and bulk, unless their strips to constitute the'fimpaet' members of bumpers hasfsubstanti'al manufacturing advantages and aiiords a bumper in which the desired degreeofresiliencyor rigidity. can. be

7 '35 -'readily 'provided 'for, but heretofore it has cbeen'the practicein providing a'bumper'made ofsteel' strips to secure breadth of impact j surface increasing'the number' of steel strips arranged in the impact plane rather 4o" than to provide a single broadstrip', primarily forfthereason 'thatz'a very broad flatstrip 2 7 presents an unsightly appearance: I

' Inpursuance of'the objectfirst'st ted above,-

ytherefore, fthe present invention-provides 1a 345 strip of steel-10f considerably greaterbreadth than that conventionally used inbumpers of.

the single bar type; the bumper-strip provided in accordancewith this invention being preferably of concave-convex cross-section and of such radius ofgcurvature and breadth.

tubulartbumpers, to which p the amount of; material 9'25 used, asthedi'ameter is lncreased, adding tozOn the otherghand, the use of flat steel 1 FigL ladiscloses a pfende'r guard in .1928. Serial No, 29 4, 881.

' treated tovary'the design, and it afi'ordsan extremely serviceable andeiiective impact, area from whateverdi'rection theshock of im-- pact 1s recelved.

A bumper thus constructed, while semi to I rigid, that is to say, more rigid than would be a fiat steel strip of the s'ame'cross-section, nevertheless possesses: more resiliency than does a tubular bumper member, whatever-the i- I q 7 .size of the lattern v v i i V V u 5 "A bumper con'structed in accordance with the present invention may have a curvature which causes it to present the effect of a larger bar than-would .be practicable with any bumper'having acomplete tubular section.- For the same reason, a'bumper of this novel construction willhave a greater strength for aiigiven-weight of material employed, inas: much-as substantiallyall-of the material-may, beconcentrated in the portion of the bumper Z53 exposed'for'impact V, i 1 I A fu-rthe'robj ectofthe invention is to provlde a' supporting bar which isofo narrower stock-than the impact bar'and will be con f cealed-thereby'.v "Also the supporting bari isfgu' bent on a radius less than that of the'impactbar-and contacts therewith at aiplurality of "separated. points thereby permitting a 1amtude of diiiering radiiwhich may be used 'bofthibars andstillplermit their attachment, I

Thi ifierencefin radiilbetween both bar'sj 1 provides fa: greater degree of resiliency than I could beobtain'ed by bars of the sameradius.

- A clear conception of the construction and I further objects of theinvention maybe had 9ov fromthe following specification, in conjun'c tion with thegaccompanying drawings, in'i.

Fig. 3 is adetailfront view of the attach ing member jv 1 j P Fig.4 is across-section through 4-4 of" Fig.3; h I V- designated by the reference character 1 is an impact member of a fender guard which may be made of any suitablematerial, and is preferably formed of a strip of flexible steel hav ing in accordance with the invention a forwardly convex impact surface Qpfsuflicient breadth and curvature to afi'ord the appearance of a complete tube when observed from 7 any position ordinarily occupied by an observer standingon the ground in the vicinity of the bumper. Preferably the breadth of this impact member is considerably greater than that of ordinary single strip bumpers, and the forwardly convex surface'is preferablyof approximately cylindrical contour and of a radius substantially greater than that of conventionaloversized tubular bumpers.

In its now-preferred form such an impact membermay be conveniently formed by rolling a steel strip into concavo-convex crosssection, and the impact'surface may be plain or formedwith longitudinal ribs 2 as shown, which may be of .any suitable number and contour, but preferably having three ribs of approximately rectangular cross-section. These ribs may be given a different finish from that of the adjacent portion of the impact surface, as, for instance, by japanning ofthe latter and imparting a polished finish, suchas nickeling,to the ribs.

The inner end of the bar 1 may beformed with a curved portion as shown, while the other end is preferably covered by a cap 3 whiclrmay be-either japanned, to 'matchthe bar 1, or nickel'ed, as desired. The cap 3 is formed to carryout the effect of a tubular bumper.

The impact bar is shown assecured to a I supporting bar i'havingits outer end formed.

in a loop and its inner end bent at approxi-' mately right angles to the generalcontour of thebar. It will'be noted in Figs. 1 and 6 that the radius ofcurvature of bar .4 is suchsthata considerable space remains between the inner face ,of the impact bar and thesupporting bar, when they are in their assembled relation. ThisIpermits the impactbarbeing used with supporting bars of varying radii and gives a greater latitude in manufacture. This space also provides more resiliency in the bumper and insures sufficient room for'the bending of bar a under certain conditionsof impact. V

The impact bar is secured byany suit-able means to the supporting-bare, as by bolts 5 which pass through holes provided inboth 'by meansof bolts 15.

.ingbar is secured to a frame member 9 of a vehicle in the instance illustrated by an attachingmember ;10.and a back bar 14. The attaching member 10 is preferably formed of cast steel and is shownyhaving right angle flanges on both sides of the shank of a central T-shaped portion as shown in Fig. 1. The inner end of bar 4 is secured to face 11 ofthe cross piece of the T-shaped member 10 by bolts 12, and the back bar'lt is secured in the channel portion 13 formed bythe flanges The member 10 has a pair of cars or lugs 17 and 18 whichapproximate the contour of frame member?) and to which they are secured by bolts 16.

The free endof back'bar 14: is secured to the outer looped end of supporting bar 4 by bolts 19, and the back bar is so formed that the end of the fender guard is positioned near the fender 20 and gives completerearward protection thereto. The other en'dofthe guard is so positioned that free access is permitted to the spare .tire 21'. V

A- bumper constructed as above described may be formed with any desired degree of rigidity, and will desirably have a greater degree of resiliency ;It isto-be noted that such completely tubularlbuinpers ingeneral do notaiford anyusefuldegree of resiliency for .many purposes, and as already noted the diameter of such bumpers is limited by the tendency to an undueincrease in weight andbulk except with thesacrifice of proper/thickness of walls, if the tubular-bumper is to be-capable ofresisting the crumpling action of a shock under impact, whereas such shocks can be sustained with impunitywith the struicturelherein described, inasmuch as the concave-convex bars can :bemade of any desired thickness:suitable to sustain the impactslike'ly to beencountered in-use, and will retain their convex form iuninjuredafter any but .the'rmost destructive'rshocks, while absorbing completely all the minor shocks, without-injuryto the vehicle or'its'occupants,

I also wish it'to be understood that: any suitable means for securing together the varioussparts of thefbumpers or fender guards may beprovided in place of thebolts shown *at different regions, inasmuch as the parts than any bumper of completelycylindrical or tubular cross-section.

i ber to the frame of a vehicle.

' 6. In a fender guard of the type Iclaimz j 1. An automobile fender guard compris ing an impact member formed of a broad strip of resilient metal presenting a convex 1y curved impact surface of suitable extent and curvature to present the appearance of a cylindrical tube, said impact memberconcealing and being mounted upon a resilient bar. 7

2. An automobile fender guard comprising an impact member formed of a broad strip of resilientmetal presenting theappearance of a cylindrical'tube, said member being secured to and concealing throughout its length a fiat bar of resilient metal.

' 3. An automobile fender guard compris-' ing an impact member formed of a broad strip I of resilient metal presenting the appearance A in form but'of different radii of curvature,

of a cylindrical tube, a supporting bar of flat strip resilient metal narrower than said member, sa1d barand sald'memberbelng arcuate said member being secured to and concealing said bar and being spaced therefrom to per mit deformation of said member "llIldBI'jlHl pact.

4. An automobile fender guard compris mg a resilient impact member of arcuate I of a vehicle, and means for securing said member to sa1d horn.

ing an impact member of substantially cylindrical appearance, a supporting bar 'to which said impact member is secured, a back bar of resilient strip metal, an attaching member adapted. to. embrace said back bar and o be 7 secured to the frame of a vehicle, and means for securing one end of said supporting bar to said back bar and the other end to said attaching member. s

' 9. In a fender guard of the type described,

an impact member having a convex impact surface, a supporting bar, said member being secured to and concealing said bar With the exception of an end portion and a cap formed to embrace said impact bar and supporting same radius of curvature as said impact memher, and means for securing sa1d cap to said impact member, sa1d cap havlng lugs to In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification. I 7

- o I GEORGE W. YANSS'.

form, a supporting bar also of arcuate form but of different radius of-curvature, said supporting bar being spaced from said impact member to permit deformation of the latter I 1 l under impact, and means for securing said supporting bar and impact member'to the frame .of an automobile. V y

5. In a fender guard ofthe type described," an attaching member comprising a'casting of substantially T'shape', the lateral flanges at.

theiedges thereof formi'nga channel on one side of the shank'of said T for the reception 7 Q of a back bar adapted to be secured thereto,

an impact member secured to the "cross'memberof said attaching member at one end and c o to the free end of said back bar at the other,

and means for securingsaid attaching memdescribed, an attaching member comprising a casting of substantially T shape having a recess v formed in the shank thereof for'thereception of a back bar ofsai'd guard, an impact member secured to the cross member of said castingat one end and to the free end of said s top and bottom ofsaid horn:

. back bar at the other, a plurality of lugs formed on said casting having substantially vehicle, and bolts for securing said lugs to the 7. An attaching member for fender guards of the type described'comprising a casting of -1thesamecurvature'asthespring horn'offa substantially T shape," a channel: shaped groove onoone side thereof for accommodat} j ing a fender bar, lugs formed thereon having substantially the curvature of the spring horn bar at said end and approximately of the' I 1 engage said supporting bar and afford sup v port to said cap. i 

